Strapping systems are widely used for packaging articles, retaining articles on shipping pallets, and like storage and transport systems. The articles which may be strapped can include furniture articles which may be wrapped in whole or in part and provided with edge protectors to prevent deterioration of the edges by the straps or in handling.
They may also be stacks of articles, such as packages, which can be strapped to hold them together and in which case the edge protectors are principally designed to prevent deterioration of or damage to the articles at edges of the stack.
Whatever may be the kind of article used or the purpose, the edge protector is interposed between the strap and the article and the strap is under tension against the edge protector.
In the past, paper laminates, bent about an axis midway of the width of the laminate between the longitudinal edges thereof, have been used as edge protectors and have a generally L-shaped profile or cross section with a pair of angularly adjoining flanges. Because of the bending action, however, such edge protectors are not always satisfactory since the junction region between the flanges may be excessively rounded, i.e. flat inner surfaces of the flanges at right angles to one another do not approach one another sufficiently closely.
Furthermore, when such edge protectors are applied, for example, to furniture or like hard articles with sharp edges, the edge protector may not form a sufficient cushion for the sharp edge of the article, or the desired level of tension of the strap may not be obtainable, or this tension may not be maintained over long periods of time.
It has been recognized that it is advantageous to provide the edge protector with a pressure-adhering adhesive strip to hold the edge protector in place on the article or with respect to the strap which is designed to encircle the article during the strapping process.
Generally, the edge protectors are supplied or stored in stacks and when the edge protector is provided with an adhesive strip, the removal of an edge protector from the stack thereof for application to the article may be troublesome or difficult because of the adhesion of the adhesive strip of one edge-protector body to the adjoining edge-protector body. Also, when the adhesive strip has contacted another edge-protector body, it is found to have a reduced adhesion force with respect to the article or strap.
To prevent this phenomenon and to simplify the separation of the stacked edge-protector bodies, it has been proposed to wrap at least the regions of the edge protectors which might come into contact with adhesive strips of other edge protectors with a silicone-coated paper or to apply silicone-coated masking strips between the adhesive strips and the bodies which may be contacted thereby. This is of course expensive and requires handling of additional material.